Review Summary: A somewhat explorative album for the young band which may have been suited better to an EP.
With the recent infestation of Post Hardcore/Ambient/Metalcore bands in the heavier music scene, How does an upcoming band make themselves stand out above an overcrouded genre? By adding more genres perhaps?
That seems to be the aim for Melbourne act, Glorified!. Honestly, I wasn't expecting much from the album and I was surprised to the somewhat explorative lead work raising themselves above your average local Metalcore/Post Hardcore band.
Boasting the genre 'Progressive Metalcore' is the band's first fault, where listener's discover how misleading the statement is within the album's first minute. I wouldn't consider the band's sound to be straight out 'generic', But what could be actually considered 'progressive' doesn't appear on the album apart from moments in the songs 'Control' and 'Darkness'.
The album starts with the We Came As Romans-esque 'Beauty', which fails to surprise and inspire until a minute in when you hear more lead work than your current metalcore band would allow. This however doesn't last long and returns to your standard metalcore band with some catchy breakdowns, straight forward riffs until again the last minute of the song which leads into the finish with an epic solo (Of sorts...). Now by the end of the first song you have realised that the piano is going to become your worst enemy on this 8 track album, which does make it less bearable but still listenable.
'Beauty' flows nicely into 'Modern Fortress', which is the strongest track on the LP with a relativly standard metalcore riff and rhythmic breakdowns. It then proceeds into a smooth and beautiful sweep section followed closely by the return to the riffs you know and love with a slower, reworked lead harmony resulting in a quite enjoyable song. The track closes with a finger tapping progression with once again, the rhythmic breakdowns and ring out into 'Control'.
'Control', A slightly weaker track starting with synth and core influenced guitar work which starts to recycle the riffs heard from previous tracks. Another issue is the piano samples starting to resemble the MIDI sound on Guitar Pro. Despite this, it still is able to pick itself up towards the end with one of 2 'progressive' moments with start-stop lead sections and a breakdown to match it. It is slightly ruined due to over production of the section giving it a more electronic sound.
'The Light' starts with a creepy keyboard sample and follows into a bouncy 'Djent' breakdown, a somewhat refreshing change to the bands overused formula. Unfortunately, this becomes way overused becoming the basis of 2 and a half minutes with slightly different lead riffs followed into a breakdown with some awesome sounding pinch harmonic's. Insert more 'Djent' riffage and a new keyboard and lead section which really only needed a minute but is streached out to 3 with a breakdown and a chord and synth progression which was the only memorable part of the second half of the song.
'Darkness' has some of the best moments on the album despite having the tendency to wander into As Blood Runs Black inspired riff work from 2006. Another example of the average piano samples is mainly evident in this track with it plugging up the gaps in the breakdowns, thankfully this only lasts for the first minute of the song. The main highlight being the last minute where the last evidence of 'progressive' metalcore becomes evident, similar to The Human Abstract's 'Horizon to Zenith' start-stop lead sections. 'Purity' is a 100% filler track similar to A Day To Remember's 1 and a half minute breakdown songs, easily the weakest track on the album but does highlight some of the heavier moments on the album which rescue it to some degree.
2 average minutes later and we roll into 'Failure to Change' where we dont see too much of an improvement but starts off with one of the more catchier moments on the album featuring clean guitar, synth and gang vocals...Every aspiring hardcore kid's dream. This doesn't last long and becomes one of the more average moments due to the same structures and riffs that made the first half of the album. The second last track does redeem itself to some degree with an electronic section similar to House VS Hurricane's ending to Forfeiture (Song not the EP)
The last track 'Realisations' does pick up some of the slack left by the second half of the album, with more memorable riffs, catchy breakdowns and less piano work than most of the tracks. The main attraction for this track is the guest vocals providing some more than needed clean vocals to the album, only to be brought down by unnecessary 'Brootal' vocals that even contrast it to the point that the cleans sound slightly flat during the last 20 seconds
Despite the problems in the album it's generally a good album with moments of great and poor which luckily weigh each other out. This may have had more luck being an EP that way it could have been considered a search for their unique sound and would have earned a less critical response (well out of me anyway). Still worth a try and will please fans of the genre...It just won't have much an impression on others.
Beauty - 3/5
Modern Fortress - 3.5/5
Control - 2.5/5
The Light - 3/5
Darkness - 3/5
Purity - 2/5
Failure To Change - 2.5/5
Realisations - 2.5/5
